NEW YORK – The Giants linebacker group needs an upgrade. This is something that is a long time coming and something I expect the team will address in this years NFL draft in April. I mean no disrespect to the current Giants linebackers and I think they did a good job in 2010 but the team needs an all pro linebacker to compliment the rest of the defense. New York loves it’s linebackers and fans have stopped being polite and started demanding a top caliber linebacker for the team.

The problem I see with assessing the Giants linebackers are all of the question marks. It would be easy to make the hard choices if GM Jerry Reese and Coach Coughlin had seen all of them perform on the field but that is not the case. Some of these guys have had real game time experience and some of them haven’t. The injury bug hit the LB group just as hard as the rest of the team in 2010. Couple that with having one of the youngest LB corps in the NFL and you can see where I’m going with this. If the Giants can shore up the linebacker position by the start of this season, then the Giants defense is going to be a top 3 defense in the NFL.

Although the expectations may be somewhat unrealistic, the fans still want what they want. I would not be surprised if the Giants brought in a young and proven free agent LB before the season starts. The DE’s are solid and the safety position is squared away. You can be sure the LB’s and DT’s will be thoroughly addressed this off season. Another idea that is picking up steam is the Giants getting another stud CB as well.

Let’s take a look at the Giants linebackers as of today 2-21-11.

1. Jonathan Goff, 6’2″ 236 pounds – Goff was given the opportunity to replace all pro LB Antonio Pierce when he retired after the 2009 season. Goff did a good job at the middle linebacker spot but he wasn’t spectacular. He finished as the second best tackler among LB’s in 2010 behind only Michael Boley. I’m not sure if he will be the starting MLB at the beginning of the 2011 NFL season but it certainly will not be because he did not give it his all. He was also only one of two linebackers that played in all 16 games and remained fairly healthy in 2010.

2. Michael Boley, 6’3″ 225 pounds- Boley has been a great signing for the G-Men and lead all linebackers in tackles last season. This guy hits hard and seems to be all over the field trying to get to the ball. I expect him to have another good season in 2011 and establish some consistency to an area of the team that really needs it. Boley was also the only other linebacker who played in all 16 games in 2010.

3. Gerris Wilkinson, 6’3″ 231 pounds – Wilkinson has had an up and down career for years with Big Blue. He has been plagued by injuries for most of his young career but has enough talent to keep him on the roster. It feels like Wilkinson has been on the team forever but it has only been five years now.

4. Keith Bulluck, 6’3″ 235 pounds – Bulluck is the crafty veteran and he was brought in last season to bolster a LB group that seemed to be in trouble. He had a decent 2010 season for the time he was on the field but once again, he was a player who was effected by injuries. There are questions about him being with the team in 2011 because the Giants will most assuredly address the linebacker group as they look to get younger and faster. Still, I believe the G-Men need a veteran player to be a leader in the locker room and teach these youngsters how to be an NFL LB.

5. Clint Sintim, 6’2″ 256 pounds – Sintim is a player who coaches and fans will need to see more of on the field. Once again, the recurring theme for Big Blue is injuries, injuries and more injuries. Sintim played in 9 games in 2010 but should see more playing time in 2011 if he can stay healthy. The guy is a physical specimen and someone who has the talent and heart to make it big in the NFL.

6. Phillip Dillard, 6’0″ 245 pounds – Dillard missed most of his rookie season with an injury but was getting a lot of praise from the coaches during training camp. He was extremely vocal and seemed to grasp the middle linebacker role rather quickly. Could he be a possibility at the middle LB spot for the 2011 season? Sure, why not. Dillard is one of the guys that fans and coaches have not seen enough of on the field to make an intelligent decision about his future. I am rooting for this young man to do well.

7. Chase Blackburn, 6’3″ 247 pounds – Blackburn is hands down the best special teams player on the roster and one heck of a backup linebacker. His value to the team cannot be underestimated and fans have come to love him for the effort he gives on the field and his lack of complaining when things don’t go his way. He was banged up a bit in 2010 but I expect nothing less then another solid season from this man in 2011.

8. Zak DeOssie, 6’4″ 249 pounds – In the immortal words of the legendary film “Animal House’, Zak DeOssie is a legacy member of Big Blue because his dad played on the team back in the day. DeOssie has made a name for himself as the long snapper and a solid backup linebacker when the situation arises. He has been with the Giants since being drafted by them and continues to be a solid contributor for the team.

9. Adrian Tracy, 6’2″ 248 pounds – Tracy missed his entire rookie season due to injury in 2010 and still needs to show coaches and fans what he can do. I’m not sure what to expect from him but I’m hoping he has healed up and can help out the team in 2011.

10. Kenny Ingram, 6’6″ 229 pounds – Ingram is currently on the reserve future list and he is someone the fans were rooting for before the 2010 season started. He was no doubt brought in for depth and his status for the 2011 NFL season is up in the air for now.

What are your thoughts on the Giants linebackers and what would you do to improve this squad?

NEW YORK – The New York Giants have problems, big problems. The team has not been able to stay healthy since 2008. The 2009 NFL season may be one of the worst on record as far as injuries are concerned. The 2010 NFL season is slowly catching up to that infamous honor. There is absolutely nothing more frustrating then having a ton of talent on a team that cannot play due to injuries. I get physically ill when I think about the pro bowlers and supreme talent who have landed on the IR this year or who have missed significant playing time due to injuries.

The Giants have been making so many mid-season transactions, that it has become difficult to keep track of them all. It seems like the team is brining in a new player every single week. The news broke yesterday about star WR Hakeem Nicks having to miss at least 3 weeks with a leg injury and it was just another punch to the gut. The Giants already have players, who are playing games with injuries and legging them out. I will leave a current list of players who are missing significant time in 2010 below, so you can see for yourself what the team is dealing with.

Last year, the defense was the main problem and that has been fixed with the arrival of DC Perry Fewell and a bunch of new players. In 2010, the special teams has effected more games then I care to discuss and the offense has been turning the ball over at an astonishing rate. So far, turnovers and the special teams play are number one and two on my list of issues. Not too far behind and perhaps tied with one of the previous two items are the injuries. The Giants can’t seem to catch a break this year, after once again having a promising first half of the season. The Giants have had the No.1 defense and a top three offense for much of the first half of the 2010 NFL season and now it seems to be slipping away week by week. They are currently the No.2 defense and No.3 offense in the NFL with a 6-4 record.

This season is far from over and the G-Men are capable of running the table when healthy but when your three starting WR’s are Mario Manningham, Duke Calhoun and Derek Hagan, you may run into some problems because those are your No.3, No.4 and No.5 WR’s on the depth chart. Not to mention that TE Kevin Boss has been banged up all year and has missed time, further taking away weapons from Eli manning who is having a solid season despite his meltdown against the Eagles this past weekend.

The 6-4 Giants will reportedly sign the 6’4″ former Tampa Bay WR Michael Clayton to a one year deal today, to help the depleted WR corps. Clayton is a young 28 year old player with six years of NFL experience under his belt. He will be brought in from his current Omaha team with the UFL. This might be just the thing this young man needs to live up to his potential. The Giants will need to clear the air and get focused for their next game this weekend against the Jaguars at 1PM EST in New Meadowlands stadium.

NEW YORK – The New York Giants might need to seek some alternative medical practices because they simply cannot avoid injuries as of late. I’m not suggesting getting a witch doctor on the med staff but there certainly needs to be some changes in the training process. The Giants already have eight players on the injured reserve list and we are only in week one of the 2010 NFL season.

The bad news continued to roll in today with the reports of OT William Beatty needing surgery for a fracture in his foot. I do not need to explain how important the left tackle position is and I’m glad that the team picked up OL Shawn Andrews as insurance. OL David Diehl is more then capable of filling in at left tackle, a position he has a lot of experience with.

TE Kevin Boss suffered another concussion in the game on Sunday and the team has not said when he will be able to return. I’m not sure what to say but I know that the Giants cannot continue to lose starting players at this rate and expect to be competitive in the NFC East. TE Travis Beckum is the only other tight end on the roster. Big Blue does have TE Bear Pascoe on the practice squad but he could find himself on the bus if Boss misses significant game time.

I wish I could tell you that we were through with listing some injuries but we are not. LB Chase Blackburn was diagnosed with a sprained MCL. The team did not say how long Blackburn would be out. You would think it would be about 2-4 weeks, depending on how bad the headaches are. Blackburn has already been quoted as saying he hopes he doesn’t need to miss even one week but that is being overly optimistic in the eyes of the medical staff. Blackburn is a huge contributor on special teams and a primary backup for the MLB position.

With the recent rash of injuries on the Giants, do you think their is a solution to this problem or is just a part of football?

The New York Giants stayed busy on Tuesday by signing two players from this years draft class. A pair of rookies, LB Phillip Dillard and LB Adrian Tracy, both signed with the team today. The terms of their contracts have not been disclosed yet. The two linebackers join rookie safety Chad Jones, as the only three draft selections to sign with the team so far. We expect the rest to follow suit shortly. Just yesterday we were discussing who the possible odd man out would be, if the G-Men decided to sign only six out of the seven draft picks. I am officially out of the discussion because I saw LB/DE Adrian Tracy as the odd man out and I was clearly wrong about that. The fact that Jerry Reese signed these two LB’s makes me feel better. As I said, I want to see all of the Giants players doing well and that includes rookies.

The New York Giants will certainly have enough depth at the linebacker position going into training camp and why not? This could end up being one of the “epic” battles in training camp lore. There are only so many positions available and nobody knows that better then the rookies. Three out of the seven draft picks are signed, leaving only DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DT Linval Joseph, OG Mitch Petrus and P Matt Dodge unsigned for right now.

– Phillip Dillard, LB – 4th round draft choice in 2010 – signed

– Adrian Tracy, LB – 6th round draft choice in 2010 – signed

I would not be surprised to see more players added to this list sometime today. Check back for updates.

Do you like the way Giants GM Jerry Reese has handled the off season thus far? Which of these rookies do you think will impact the team the most in 2010?RD – nygreporter.com

The 2010 NFL Draft is officially over and we can now step back and take a look at what the team has. Like a child ripping through his/her Birthday presents like a chainsaw, fans were getting one surprise after another. This was one of the most fulfilling drafts in recent memory. Even though my player predictions were wrong fifty percent of the time this year, I am still walking away from it knowing that the team got better. With that in mind, the joy of doing the research and scouting fades away. The New York Giants have seven new players to welcome and see what works best. This is about as exciting a group of players as the team has had in a long time. Training camp in Albany can’t come soon enough if you ask me. There are going to be some epic battles on the defensive side of the ball at the linebacker and defensive lineman positions.

My thoughts on each player selected this year. DE Jason Pierre-Paul could be the new Javon Kearse. The guy is a tremendously gifted athlete who is eager to learn. That is the kind of combination that spells solid NFL career. I can’t wait to see him on the field. DT Linval Joseph can be as good as he wants to be. The big guys in the middle have one of the toughest jobs in the NFL. There is a lot to absorb both physically and mentally in the trenches and I think Joseph is up to the task. S Chad Jones, who I believe was a steal in the third round, will prove to be a very valuable pick in the future. This kid has been on my radar for months and I’m very happy that Jerry Reese was able to grab him where they did. I think it’s safe to say that the safety position has been addressed by the G-men. LB Phillip Dillard seems to be a player that will get some time to show what he can do. He had a very good combine workout and should be in the LB fight for a starting role. OG Mitch Petrus is a big guy who fills a need area. The Giants definitely needed some depth on the offensive line and now that have it. I thought the team would have come away with a Center as well but one thing at a time I guess. LB/DE Adrian Tracy is a guy who they will be experimenting with in a couple of different positions. He also had a good combine workout and is a gifted athlete. P Matt Dodge was brought in to add some fire in the Punter competition. All-World punter Jeff Feagles is uncertain if he can continue for another year after 22 in the NFL. Jy Bond and Matt Dodge will battle it out in training camp, if Feagles can’t go another year

I want to be clear about my feeling on the new three day draft event too. I do not like this new system at all and I hope the NFL goes back to the traditional 2-day draft weekend schedule. It was a nice experiment but really way too drawn out. Having a 3-day draft weekend is like staying that extra day in Las Vegas, nothing good can come from it. Not to mention the fans on the West Coast who were probably really upset that it was 3:00 PM when the draft kicked off Friday. Please go back to the 2-day draft weekend NFL, why mess with something that wasn’t broken?

Here is a recap of who the New York Giants selected. Nicknames provided by the NYG Reporter (you heard the nicknames here first, spread the word).

The New York Giants select Punter Matt Dodge from East Carolina with the final pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. He is 6’1″ 224 pounds. The 2010 NFL Draft is now officially over for Big Blue. We will need to take a closer look at what the Giants have done this year. Be sure to come back and check out the recap article to come tomorrow. Please feel free to leave your comments below with your opinions. I would love to hear what some of you think about the Giants 2010 NFL Draft. This has been one of the most surprising (in a good way) drafts in recent memory. it could prove to be right up there with the likes of the 2007 NFL Draft.

I’m not sure how most of the other Giants fans are going to take this but this kid may be the cream of the crop for punters in 2010. I don’t remember seeing any punters or kickers get drafted before this one. If the guy is worth it and can perform, I think this was a smart pick by the team to get some depth and competition for training camp.

I can’t say that I even remember the last time the Giants drafted a punter but I would be happy to lock one down for the next 5 years here and now if that’s the case. Recent reports say that Feagles and Coach Coughlin have been talking about feagles future and if he can continue after 22 years in the NFL. feagles will be in the Hall of Fame one day for certain. We here at the NYG Reporter wish him well with whatever he chooses to do.

What do you think about the New York GIants selecting punter Matt Dodge in the final round of the 2010 NFL Draft?

The New York Giants select LB Adrian Tracy with the 184th overall pick in round six. He is 6’3″ 248 pounds and played at William and Mary college. Jerry Reese has been killing his picks all weekend. He gave the linebacker position a double tap to be sure it was taken care of. This 2010 NFL Draft reminds me of the 2007 NFL Draft. The Giants will be walking away with playmakers and extremely strong young men. Reports have swirled about DT Joseph and OG Petrus being two of the strongest physical players in the entire draft. It is a shame that the media isn’t giving Jerry Reese more credit for this draft. It seems like I have heard very little about the New York Giants all weekend while watching it LIVE.

I really like the team taking a chance on a linebacker this late in the draft. Hitting this position twice just shows how serious the front office is about creating some competition during training camp in 2010. I’m extremely excited to see which player rises to the occasion and becomes the new middle linebacker on Big Blue. I am confident that the G-men have drafted no less then three future starters for the team.

What do you think about the New York Giants sixth round pick of LB Adrian Tracy? Check out his impressive combine workout on NFL.com before you make your decision.

RD – NYGreporter.com

PS – ESPN has cut to commercial on three different New York Giants draft picks. Roger Goodell needs to explore his options about who airs the NFL Draft from now on. I was mad enough in round two but you have got to be kidding me now? Really ESPN?

nygreporter Philosophy

This site was born on 03/06/10 in the state of New York. nygreporter is a home for New York Giants fans and writers. We are a family friendly website and keep the comments clean. Remember that kids read this stuff too. This is a place where football fans can come and go as they please, without any headaches. We are a destination for NFL fans who want real analysis and original opinion articles about the New York Giants. The idea is to continue publishing solid work and to build on the existing good reputation we have within the Giants community. Ultimately, leading to a full time paid job writing or partnership of this website with someone who can see the light and see the social media value of working with values.